Ninja Scroll: Gemma's quest
by NeoScribe
Summary: The story behind what happened before the movie, right after Gemma was killed by Jubei, and his formation of the eight devils of Kimon. Rated R because...well, it's ninja scroll
1. Default Chapter

Ninja Scroll: Gemma's quest  
Chapter 1: Rebirth  
  
I don't own any of the characters here, most of them belong to the true creator of ninja scroll. This is  
purely fiction, and any resemblances to real people, are entirely by coincidence. I assume absoloutly no  
responsibility for anything in this story, except maybe entertainment value. Sheesh...I wish I didn't   
have to do that...  
  
  
A lone figure lay in the snow, which wwas now several inches high. He felt cold. But it wasn't the snow that  
was the cause of this. No, it was a different kind of cold. The cold of death. He moved his arm, and a pain shot  
through his body. Wisely, he stopped moving.  
'Where am I?' he asked himself. This wasn't right... "What happened?" he asked weakly. Opening his eyes, he  
could see the new snowfall. It was so white and so pure. Sprayed across it, was warm blood. Then his memory popped   
back in to place. His last thought was on a horse. As his head was being sliced off.  
  
Himuro Gemma, leader of the Yamashiro clan was his name. Recently, he had managed to get favor from the Shogun  
of the dark by giving information on a gold mine. Naturally, this could benifit his clan. An alliance from such a   
powerfull man could definatly ensure the saftey of Yamashiro forever. But first, Jubei, a vagabond ninja -they were  
known as ronin- had to be put out of the way. It should have been so easy! Gemma dispatched ten men that day to put  
an end to Jubei. Instead, he killed them all, and sought Gemma and vengence.  
  
And so Gemma was alone now. The agonizing pain was all over his being now, shredding his thoughts. Why wasn't  
he dead? Of course...reincarnation. A technique Gemma had started learning long ago. Only recently had he mastered  
it. Now he could rejenerate automatically, without even thinking about it. Only a handfull of people had ever   
managed to master the technique, and they mostly comprised of an old bunch of Budhist monks. Too old to even leave  
their precious monastary.  
Even if one did have the talent to learn, if you could find a teacher, or scroll that would describe the   
principals, you were to be considered very lucky. Long ago, when Gemma was still a Samurai in his clan, working for  
the Tokugawa government, he had been to China. There, he found an ancient Buhdist monastary. There he found an old  
man who had learned the first basic steps towards reincarnation. Gemma stayed there for six months, and when he had  
finally gone back to Japan, he brought the ancient secrets with him, slowly teaching himself the ancient art.  
Now, it was all that was keeping him alive. Gemma opened his eyes now with more confidence. He could see   
his lifeless body several meters away from him. But no, it wasn't all lifeless. He found that he could move it, with  
great pain. Despite any pain, he told himself, I have to reair myself. He made his body stand. Its legs were very  
shakey, but it worked. For a moment, he stay there. His mind was throbing. He could feel it pulsating. He tried to  
make his body walk. It did for a few steps, then fell to its stomach. But that was enough. Only a few feet away now.  
He crawled forwards with his hands, and picked up his head. The pain was still there, and there was a sickening   
sensation of holding his own head. But nonetheless, he placed it on his neck, where it should have been. Finally,  
closing his eyes, he concentrated. There were sounds of skin being shifted into place, of bones cracking, and   
attaching. And of spinal fluid flowing back to his head. He was coming back to life.  
For a while, he lay there. The cold snow was very refreshing to him. He could feel himself working normaly  
again, and the pain in his head was leaving him already. After a long while, he wasn't sure how long, he stood. His  
legs were still shakey, and it seemed that his body was still having a little bit of difficulty obeying commands from'  
his brain. He sat down again, and waited, testing his body. After another short while, he stood up very confidently.  
He looked around the snow covered road, and began to walk. 'I am reborn', he thought to himself contently.  
  
***  
  
Gemma walked for almost one shole day before he got to his destination. There he collapsed from exauhstion.  
Reincarnation or not, he wasn't immune from fatigue. The Shogun of the dark was in command of this region, and Gemma  
was supposed to meet with one of his representatives to discuss matters of the state. Instead, Gemma slept for a day,  
still tired from his long walk and painfull reincarnation.  
He awoke in a lavishly decorated room. There was a small dish of food waiting for him and a cup of tea. He   
gratiously ate the food, and slurped the tea down instantly. He felt a little better, and stood up. Just then, a   
maid opened the Shoji door. Shoji doors were actually made out of paper. The maid bowed.  
"I hope you are well, Gemma-san. When you arrived, you looked like you had been walking forever! Did you   
loose your horse?"  
Gemma looked at her at length. Where was this? He thought back. Origionally, he was headed to Kokomi village.  
on the way to a meeting with the Shogun of the dark. "Yes." He said, not being entirely clear. "Where is the leader  
of this village?"  
"Ah, our Lord and Daimyo has arrived to see you personaly on the journey. He will see you tonight."  
"Tonight is no good. I need to see him today."  
"Ah, he is busy So sorry. He will see you tonight."  
Gemma didn't feel like arguing with this stubborn, middle-aged woman. He simply got up and got dressed hastily.  
Once outside, Gemma noticed that the snow was a few feet higher than before. 'How long have I been out?' he wondered.  
The village he was in wasn't as small as he had thought. It was rather large, and from the looks of it, well guarded.  
Gemma went into town. Where would the Daimyo be? He asked a few people, but it became apparent that no one knew. So  
Gemma returned to the house he came from, bathed, and fell back to sleep.  
  
"Lord Gemma, wake up!" Shouted the short, ugly man who stand in front of him. He was Yaroki, Daimyo of these  
parts. He had been sent by the Shogun of the dark to meet with Gemma. The Yamshiro clan was in a dangerous position  
as of late. The Tokugawa government was in the process of fortifying their lands, and Yamashiro was reluctant to  
agree. With the blessings of the Shogun of the Dark, Yamashiro could, in effect, save itself. But so far, it had  
professed a friendly neutrality towards both sides. Well, time to clear that up.  
"Wake him up!" Yaroki said to one of the samurai near him. The warrior shook him violently. Slowly, Gemma  
awoke. "You've already slept for a day, Gemma. And yet, you need more sleep?"  
"If you had been through what I have, you'd understand." He pointed to the huge scar that sliced around his  
neck. Yaroki gave him a troubled glance.  
"You were attacked?"  
"Yes. And all my men slaughtered."  
Yaroki thought about this. 'If I loose Gemma, then the Shogun of the dark will have my head! And from the  
looks of that scar, I probably almost did! But if he acquired it recently, then why does it look all healed up?'  
"Well, we can find the killer later and put an end to his life. RIght now, we have buisness to attend to."  
Gemma nodded his head solemly in agreement. For a long time, the two talked. Mainly, on the position of the  
Yamashiro clans position. It was directly between Tokugawa territory, and Toyatomi territory. The two were on the  
verge of a war. And in a long, drawn out bloody war, Tokugawa would likely win. But that is where Yamashiro would  
come in. From what Gemma told them, Yamashiro had recently found a rich gold mine. If the two were to enter into an  
alliance, Toyatomi could use the gold towards the destruction of Tokugawa. Then the Shogun of the dark would rule  
with an iron fist! Gemma didn't realise it, but this alliance was crucial to the Shogun of the dark. Best not to let  
Gemma find out.  
In truth, Gemma did realise, and wanted to meet with the Shogun of the dark to make demands. Right now, both  
Tokugawa and Toyatomi could use him and his clans gold. Only, the Shogun of the dark provided more opportunity. And  
so, the alliance would benifit them both greatly. But in the end, Gemma would get more.  
  
***  
  
The two men talked for great deal during the night. Gemma was to leave to see the Shogun of the dark the  
next day, early in the morning. Yaroki went off to bed, but Gemma had slept enough. So instead, he wandered into the  
streets. 'Jubei' he thought with rage.It was Jubei! He killed me and my men! But he thinks me dead. This could un-  
doubtably proove usefull. Yes, I'll bide my time, and one day I'll be ruling this land, and all of Japan. And then!  
Then I can get my revenge on Jubei at my own leisure.' Gemma went back into his house and meditated, clearing all  
his thoughts.  
'I was almost killed. And my best men all slain by a single warrior. I can't let that happen again. Even   
after mastering reincarnation, I still don't have enough experience. Can't leave anything to chance.'  
For a while, he thought. 'Truly loyal soldiers would have killed Jubei. Truly loyal soldiers would die for   
me. But even truly loyal soldiers can be killed. If only they were more like me...wait! That may be the answer. If I  
do enter into the alliance with the Shogun of the dark, then he'll give me a substantial amount of power. No doubt  
enough to create my own team of ninja. Each with devastating techniques. Yes, it can be done!' Gemma began to get  
more excited over this new prospect. An unbeatable team of ninja, totally loyal to Gemma. 'It would be a great start  
to what could one day become a giant empire. And it would be a great way to make a name for myself.' Gemma stayed up  
through the night, thinking of various possibilities on this new idea. And he continued to plan, all through the   
next day, until finally, his audience with Shogun of the Dark.  
  
Author's Note: I'll admit, this chapter lacked something...lets call it quality an interest. But not to  
worry, if you got lost, keep reading. I'll be moving the story away from the politics of Japan, and focus  
it on Gemma's personal story. So yeah, read on. And of course, enjoy.  
Neo_Scribe ^_^ 


	2. The Dark Sorcerer

Ninja Scroll: Gemma's quest  
Chapter 2: The dark sorcerer  
  
It was good. The meeting with Shogun of the dark went as well as Gemma could have hoped for. After reassuring the old man that Yamashiro's gold would go strictly to the Shogun, and not the Tokugawa government, Gemma could have asked for anything. His request for half a year to assemble seven warriors must have seemed a trivial matter to the Shogun.  
It doesn't matter, Gemma decided. All his thoughts were aimed towards the invincible  
team of ninja. He had thought long and hard about it, and finally decided that he would  
recruit about six or seven ninja. Any more and it would be unweildy. Any less, and it   
certainly wouldn't have the power to instill terror into the hearts of any foe who would  
cross them.  
The dark Shogun was actually a little surprised at Gemmas's request. It seemed to be  
an awful waste to spend half a year of your life assembling a few men. But Gemma had all   
the time he needed. Now that he had pleged his allegiance to the Shogun, there was little  
for him to do, but go back to Yamashiro and wait for the Shogun to call on him for his  
assistance. And god only knew how long that would take. No, spending half a year searching  
for the perfect team of ninja would be far more constructive.  
With the promise of a new gold mine, Gemma pleased the Shogun so greatly, that he  
could also ask for the one, truly priceless gift. The services of Kimone, the greatest   
sorcerer in all of Japan.  
Kimone, one of the Shogun's top agents, was one of the very few people who had an  
understanding of magic. He was brought into the service of the Shogun when he was only a  
child, and showed talent in sorcery. He was promptly sent to China, which not only had the  
greatest population anywhere, but also housed almost all of the truly gifted magic users  
in the world. Kimone spent 30 years of his life in various parts of the country, learning   
the ancient secrets that much of the modern world had forgotten. And now, he was back. The  
Shogun of the dark's most valuable man.  
And Gemma controlled him.  
  
***  
  
Nagoya, one of the larger cities in Japan was secretly controlled by the Shogun of   
the dark, along with other cities in the surrounding area. This was where the Shogun   
generally stayed, and this was also where Gemma met with him. Kimone, however, was not in   
Nagoya at the moment.  
As it turned out, Kimone was dispatched to deal with some buisness matters several weeks ago by the Shogun, and was expected back in Osaka in two days. This gave Gemma the opportunity to gather horses, weapons, money, and several things that he may need to travel. It wouldn't be much. He was sure he could get by in any given situation. He was a man of few scruples.  
Gemma finished all the preperations on the first day, and was anxious to get a move  
on. By the second day, he was restless, and to occupy himself, he wandered the streets of  
Osaka, thinking, taking in the sights, and employing a highly priced escort for the night.   
It was worth it, he thought to himself in the morning. She certainly knew how to please a   
man in bed. And Gemma could easily afford it, now that he had the Shogun eating out of   
his hand.  
By the third day, around noon, while in his quarters, Gemma found himself loosing his patience. One would think that the most prized sorcerer in the realm would be punctual! As if answering his thoughts, two samurai knock on Gemma's door. He opened it.  
"Gemma-sama. Lord Kimone has arrived, and wishes to meet you."  
"About time." Gemma said, and followed the two guards down the hall and through the  
large palace. It took ten minutes, with the constant stops to check and bow, but at length,  
Gemma and the two escourts walked outside on the sunny patio. They bowed, and left Gemma alone. He walked several paces forward before looking around and seeing nothing. He grunted in annoyance. He had no time to loose! Where was this guy?  
"Himuro Gemma." a cryptic voice came from a secluded spot in the garden. It sounded  
far away. Gemma squinted his eyes and slowly approached. The garden was a beutiful thing.  
So silent and peacefull. An old man - probably a gardener - was toiling away. Gemma didn't  
look at him, he just walked into the garden. It took almost a minute before he could find  
the source of the voice.  
Walking into a clear part of the lavishly decorated garden, Gemma saw a dark old  
figure standing by some flowers, either in deep thought, or waiting. He had his back turned. Gemma approached him.  
"You must be Kimone. My name is Gemma, and I was the one who asked for your services." Gemma said, introducing himself. The dark figure turned around, greeting him cordially. He bowed slightly.  
The sorcerer picked a pink flower from the garden and sniffed it thoughtfully. Gemma noticed that it wilted slightly. "Yes, I am Kimone. And I know who you are. The Shogun of the dark told me that you had specific plans for me?"  
Gemma now had a good front view of the dark sorcerer. He was no younger than 60 years for sure. His face was looked wrinkled, like a mask. It almost looked dead, only the two beady eyes were always scanning the area, displaying a wisdom of many ages. Physically, Kimone was very bent, and weak looking. But with the magics he wielded, chances were that he was stronger than he looked. It was probably just himself, but it seemed that the sun never touched the man. It gave Gemma an eerie feeling.  
"Yes, I did." Gemma went on. "I plan to leave to Hamamatsu as soon as is convinient with you."  
The flower he held in his fingers was dead now, and turning black at an alarming rate. "I am ready when you are. I could leave right now, if you wished."  
"Excellent." Gemma said. His preperations were all ready. "We shall leave in two hours."  
  
Gemma smiled wickedly. All his plans were coming true. Oh, how beutifull it was! Soon his invincible team of ninja would be ready to serve him, and with their strength, no one in Japan would be able to stand up to him! His dreams were so close to becoming reality that he could almost reach them. It was good. 


End file.
